Most large businesses use highly automated inventory management systems to log in new inventory. The typical process includes: an inventory operator affixing a unique identification code, e.g., a barcode, to each item that enters the business's warehouse and scanning the affixed identification codes with a portable scanner in communication with an inventory database; the portable scanner transmitting the codes to an inventory computer; and the inventory computer creating a data record in an inventory database that identifies the item according to the affixed identification code. The data record may be updated later with additional item information.
Many small businesses, however, do not have such systems, because either they handle smaller amounts of inventory or they can not afford the more expensive automated systems. In such cases, inventory must be logged in manually. The typical process includes: the inventory operator affixing the unique identification code, e.g., the barcode, to each item that enters the business's warehouse and to that item's shipping form and then entering by hand the identification codes from either the item or the item's shipping form into the inventory computer; and the inventory computer creating a data record in the inventory database that identifies the item according to the hand-entered identification code. A concern with this approach is that it is more susceptible to error such as, for example, the operator entering erroneous identification codes in the database. This approach is also time-consuming and inconvenient for the operator.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an effective way for businesses without highly automated inventory management systems to successfully log in new inventory.